Unveiled Truths
by Laura-Grace
Summary: They dismissed it as only the flu. Even when the symptoms became more questionable, like the unexplainable bruising and difficulty in stopping even the smallest cuts from bleeding, they didn’t worry. Until the day the blood results came back: leukemia.
1. It's Only The Flu

Unveiled Truths

_They dismissed it as only the flu. Even when the symptoms became more questionable, like the unexplainable bruising and difficulty in stopping even the smallest cuts from bleeding, they didn't worry. Until the day the blood results came back: Rei and Kai both had leukemia. And their bodies weren't the only ones harbouring secrets…_

A/N: All right, I'm not a doctor, I just used what information I could gather from the following books:

**McDaniel, Lurlene. Six Months To Live. ** (This book is the first of the Dawn Rochelle Quartet, for those who have read Lurlene McDaniel. This author writes extremely good angsty books about teens who are going through hard times. A lot of them are stuff like diabetes and cancer, but there's teens who have lost friends and family from accidents and there's one pair of books, Angel of Hope and Angel of Mercy, that are all about a girl who goes on a missions trip to Africa. It's really sad and angsty.)

**Kent, Deborah. Too Soon To Say Goodbye.** (A good book about a 13-year-old girl who comes down with leukemia. It has some good views on the isolation patients feel and the problems adjusting with younger siblings and stuff like that. This author's also wrote a book called Why Me?, which is about a girl who finds out she has a possibly fatal kidney disease and needs a transplant. However, she's adopted, so she goes on a search for her birth mother.)

So if you happen to notice any errors, don't flame me, but please tell me so I can store it away in case I ever write another story involving leukemia and I'll try to fix errors where I can.

DISCLAIMER: I own only Ira, Lien, Mikael, Anastassia, David, Matrina, Blaise, Sikander, Zekediah, Malik, Sisley, Evan, Nevada, Curran, Chad, Abia, Lashae, Hollie, Tamra, Netanya and Chloe, along with the nurses and doctors at Tokyo Civic.

**Chapter 1: It's Only The Flu**

 _Serov, Russia - December 25, 2002_

                "My turn, my turn!"

                "No! You just opened one! Mama, it's _my_ turn now!"

                "Mememememememememe!"

                "Girls, stop it!" 15-year-old Kai Hiwatari groaned, lying down on one of the couches in the rec room, a wet cloth over his eyes.

                "Yes, girls, keep it down a bit," Anastassia Shostanova said. "Kai's got a headache and baby Chloe's sleeping still."

                "_Again?" 7-year-old Hollie said in exasperation. "That's _all_ she does! And Kai _always_ has a headache! Even today, and it's _Christmas_! __And his birthday!"_

                "I know," Kai's stepfather, Mikael, said. "That's what worries me. The medicine isn't helping, is it, Kai?"

                "Not really," Kai admitted. "But I'm sure the results will say it's only the flu, Mikael. Don't worry about it."

_Nakoemi, Hong Kong - December 25, 2002_

                "Rei, are you sure you feel all right?" Lien Kon asked worriedly, laying a cool hand on his forehead.

                "I'm fine, Mom." 14-year-old Rei Kon said irritably. "I'm just a little dizzy. Come on, the kids are waiting for us."

                "Rei, you look something the cat dragged in," Rei's 35-year-old brother David told him frankly.

                "David." David's wife Matrina chided gently.

                "David's right, Rei. You look awful," 30-year-old Malik agreed.

                "It's just the flu." Rei insisted. "It'll be gone within a couple of days."

                "You'd better hope so." 25-year-old Chad said. "You'd hate to be sick on your birthday."

                "No kidding."

_Serov, Russia - December 31_

                "Sorry?" Mikael said into the phone. "Are you sure? All right, when? _This afternoon? Well, okay." He hung up the phone and entered the rec room, where his three oldest daughters: Hollie, 5-year-old Tamra and 2-year-old Netanya; were busy playing with their Christmas presents. "Girls, where's Kai?"_

                "Up in his bedroom," Hollie responded. "He's sick again."

                "Oh, he is." Mikael climbed the staircase, where, indeed, Kai was stretched out on his bed, attempting to stop what looked like a bleeding nose, without much success.

                "Am I making too much blood or something?" Kai was muttering under his breath. "I mean, between nosebleeds and gum bleeding and non-clotting cuts, I'm losing a lot of blood."

                "Kai, the doctors called back."

                "And?" Kai asked, not bothering to sit up.

                "Pack your bags. We have to bring you into the hospital this afternoon."

_Nakoemi, Hong Kong - December 31_

                "Mom, do we _have _to go _today?" Rei whined as his mother ordered him out the door, overnight bag in hand. "It's my _birthday_!"_

                "Yes." Lien told him. "We have to get to Canton today."

                Rei's face turned outraged. "_Canton_? Mom, that's not even in Hong Kong!"

                "Rei, don't make this any more difficult than it already is," Ira Kon ordered.

                "Some birthday," Rei grumbled as he sullenly closed the door to the backseat.


	2. A Little More Serious

Unveiled Truths

A/N: Yieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Yieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My dad just came back from Japan on business! I got a tin of cookies (with Hello Kitty on it, which means my friend Andrea is going to be stealing it from me at the first opportunity, she's a Hello Kitty fanatic), and a package of Japanese Kleenex (which is so much cooler than North American Kleenex because it's got advertisements and pictures on them. I am never going to use that Kleenex! ^-^*), and two graphic novels!!!! All in Japanese, but that's what makes it fun to guess what's really going on! I got _Hunter X Hunter_, volume 18, and what I _think_ is Godhand Teru, volume 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *is waving arms around in excitement* ^_________________________________^

DISCLAIMER: Owning only whom I own.

**Chapter 2: A Little More Serious**

_Canton General Hospital, China - January 2, 2003_

                "Rei?" Mariah's timid voice came from the doorway.

                "Thank you!" Rei groaned. "Somebody's here! Sorry," he added. "I'm a little hyper."

                "Rei, I've seen you hyper," Li's voice answered from behind Mariah. "You're not hyper. You're _wired_."

                "I blame the lovely little cocktail of drugs they've been giving me." Rei said, grinning as his friends entered, followed by Kevin and Gary.

                "Wrong again, Mr. Kon," a nurse said as she came in. "It's the transfusion that's doing it for you."

                "Whatever." Rei said. "All I know is I feel like I could jump out the window."

                "Don't." Mariah told him. "I'm not catching you."

                "You've jumped out a fair few windows in your time, Mariah," Li teased her.

                "My window is on the ground floor." Mariah retorted. "This is the tenth story."

                "What the heck is a transfusion?" Kevin asked suddenly.

                "It's when I get new blood. Nice new blood that is supposed to help stop me feeling ecky." Rei answered cheerily.

                "I'd say it's working," Mariah joked.

                "It's another modern medicine thing that my grandfather doesn't approve of." Li supplied.

                "Your parents have got guts, Rei." Kevin said admiringly.

                "I'm the miracle child, what can I say?"

                "You're not the _miracle_ child, you're the _accident child." Malik's teasing voice came from the doorway. "And since when has Dad ever listened to Li's grandfather any way?"_

                "Good point." Rei said. "I think his exact words were, 'Screw what Erol Ailon thinks.'"

                Li laughed. "I like that one."

_Serov Medical Centre, Russia - January 2, 2003_

                "Kai, are you sure you feel better?" Anastassia fussed.

                "Mother, I'm fine." Kai assured her. "I feel much better."

                "It's the blood transfusion, Mr. Hiwatari." The nurse chirped.

                "Right." Kai said absently. "So when can I leave? Since I don't have the flu anymore, I can go, right?"

                There was an uncomfortable pause as the nurse left without a word and Mikael finally said hesitantly, "I think you have something a little more serious, Kai."

_Canton General Hospital_

                "So when are you getting out?" Gary asked.

                "Today, I hope," Rei grumbled. "I've been in here three days, I want out. The flu's gone, I can go now."

_Serov Medical Centre_

                "Your bone marrow tests showed acute lymphocytic leukemia, ALL for short," Dr. Soren said that afternoon, to the silence of Mikael, Anastassia and Kai. "That's a type of blood cancer. It's when your white blood cells multiply out of control and your platelet count is below its normal level."

                "So what happens now?" Anastassia asked shakily.

_Canton General Hospital_

                "You couldn't have told me this earlier?!" Rei asked angrily. "It's whose body we're talking about?"

                "Rei, calm down," Lien said. "We just didn't want to get you all worked up for nothing. This is not just something you prescribe a bottle of pills for and send you home. I wish it was, but it's not."

                "The doctors were saying that they don't have the stuff you need to fight the cancer," Ira told him tiredly.

                "So what then?" Rei snapped, still upset his parents had hidden the prognosis from him.

                "They told us that Tokyo Civic was probably the best bet."

                "_Tokyo?!" David yelped. "Mom, this is insane! That means you're going to have to _move_ to Japan. There's no way you can fly back and forth on such a repetitive basis."_

                "The only problem," Lien sighed. "Is—"

                "—that Li's grandfather doesn't like the idea." Rei finished for her. "Mom, this is _our family, not his. Why is his opinion being taken into consideration?"_

                "Because he's the village head." Malik told him. "And if Mom and Dad decide to go ahead with the treatment, he has the power to kick our entire family out of the village for good. Which would mean he would kick even Chad and Abia out, unless they pretty much deny the family forevermore."

                "Where are they, any way?" Rei asked.

                "Who knows." David laughed.

                "News, my family, news!" Chad's laughing voice came as he and Abia entered the room, flushed with happiness.

                "What is it, Chad?" Lien asked.

                "How would you feel about a seventh grandchild?"

                "Oh, Chad!" Lien nearly shrieked. "That's wonderful!"

                Personally, Rei was glad when all familial attention turned to Chad and Abia and their first child on the way. But he knew it wouldn't be for long…

_Serov Medical Centre_

                "To Tokyo?" Anastassia asked faintly. "Why can't we stay here?"

                "Ma'am, your son's best chance at fighting off the leukemia is in Tokyo. They have the most advanced doctors, technologies and medical supplies you could ever ask for."

                "But _Tokyo_," Anastassia insisted.

                "It's not completely necessary yet." Dr. Soren assured her. "But it would be best if he was there for the start of his treatment."

                "So we can still stay in Serov for now?"

                "I wouldn't recommend it, Ma'am."  
                "But we could, right?"

                "That is correct, but it isn't the best thing."

                "What are the chances of remission if we remain in Serov?" Mikael interrupted.

                "I would say, with our training, about 25%."

                "And if we go to Tokyo?"

                "Approximately 95%."

                "Anastassia, the cards are on the table. We stay here and hope he's part of the 25% or go to Tokyo and be assured he's most likely part of the 95%." Mikael told her.

                "But it's _Tokyo_," Anastassia persisted. "I haven't been to Tokyo in nearly 17 years. I had no intention of going back. Besides, where would we stay?"

                "The mansion should be unoccupied," Kai said quietly. "With Grandfather dead, it's supposed to be mine now."

                "But it's _Tokyo_," Anatassia whined.

                "Ma'am, may I interrupt?" Dr. Soren asked. "What it essentially boils down to this: what are more willing to lose, the ghosts of your past, which is behind you and will no more return; or your son?"


	3. Arrival in Tokyo

Unveiled Truths

A/N: *is attempting to hum along to Hao no Theme (Hao's Theme, from Shaman King)* Eventually I'll get the hang of it… T_T I suck… *turns to Eye of the Tiger and happily sings along* I love Kazaa…__

DISCLAIMER: I own only those whom I own.

****

**Chapter 3: Arrival in Tokyo**

_Canton Airport - January 4_

                "Are we all sure we've got everything?" Lien asked at the entrance to security screening. "Remember that we're not coming back."

                Everybody flinched, including Lien. But she quickly recomposed herself. "David, Malik, you've both got the children ready for the trip?"

                "Where—where—where's Mama?" 4-year-old Zekediah, David's third and youngest son, yawned.

                Biting his lower lip, David answered quietly, "Mama's not coming with us, Zeke."

                "I don' want Mama to stay in Nakoemi!" Zeke wailed. "I want Mama to come with us!"

                As David futilely tried to explain that Matrina didn't want to be a part of their family anymore, Rei slipped off towards one of the large windows directing attention to the pouring rain outside.

                The weather outside matched the general atmosphere of the Kon family right now.

Their official exile had been humiliating: in public for the entire village to see.

_                "As you full well know, choosing the path of toxic flooding in an attempt to destroy what has already been ordained by powers higher than us is a serious violation of the codes in this village. Ira Kon, I have overlooked far too many other transgressions on your family's part over the past fifteen years. I cannot overlook this one. If you do not revoke your decision immediately, it will result in your clan's exile from Nakoemi, home of the tribe of the White Tigers."_

_                "We will not revoke, Chief Ailon. I hold my son's life higher than any code ever placed."_

_                "Very well, Ira Kon. You have chosen your family's path. Because your wife is not of this tribe, she must depart with you and your sons and grandchildren, however the wives of your sons are to be given the choice of release from your clan and return to the homes of their fathers."_

_                "I understand, Chief Ailon."_

_                "Matrina Eryns-Kon, you are being given the choice of exile with the clan of your husband, or accepted divorce and return to the home of your father, Richard Eryns. Which will you choose?"_

_                "I choose life within the home of my father, Chief Ailon."_

_                "Matrina Eryns, you are released from the exile of the clan of Kon." When this was pronounced, Matrina left without looking behind and joined her family amongst the crowds. _

_"Sisley Kweilin-Kon, you are being given the choice of exile with the clan of your husband, or accepted divorce and return to the home of your father, Darren Kweilin. Which will you choose?"_

_                "I choose life within the home of my father, Chief Ailon."_

_                "Sisley Kweilin, you are released from the exile of the clan of Kon." Sisley also left without a backwards glance. _

_Chief Ailon stopped for a moment as he came to Abia. "Abia Ailon-Kon, you are being given the choice of exile with the clan of your husband, or accepted divorce and return to the home of your father, Absalom Ailon. Which will you choose?"_

_                The tension and silence was nerve-wracking, before Abia finally responded, without a hint of emotion, "I will remain with the clan of my husband, Chief Ailon."_

_                The shock was evident throughout the village, even to Matrina and Sisley. The chief's only granddaughter, his oldest grandchild, was willing to be exiled from her grandfather, her parents and her younger brother: all for this family who had been the disgrace of the village for as long as anybody could remember, ever since Ira had married an outsider._

_                "Then no longer will you be known as a daughter of this tribe."_

                Rei had to admire Abia's courage. Being the granddaughter of the tribe's head, she had always been protected before she married Chad, and even after that, Chad had pampered her.

                "Rei," Abia said softly, letting her brothers-in-law try to calm down their children.

                Rei didn't respond, just looked out the window. He did a double take as he thought he saw a glimpse of Li and Mariah.

                His suspicions proved to be correct when Li and Mariah both came in the airport, looking around frantically. When they caught sight of the Kons not far off, Mariah dashed at Rei and started bawling her eyes out, gripping him tightly around the neck. Li was apparently without words, but not wanting his only sister to leave without knowing that he didn't like what his grandfather had done.

                "I don't want you to go, Rei!" Mariah wailed.

                "Mariah, I have to go," Rei reminded her gently.

                "But back to _Japan_?" Mariah persisted tearfully. "You couldn't go to _Canton_, where I can _see _you more often?"

                "Honestly, Mariah, you're turning into such a _girl_," Rei told her teasingly. 

"Whaddaya talking about," Mariah said half-heartedly, sniffling. "I've always been a girl. I just don't want you to go so far away."

"The doctors said it's better at Tokyo Civic than at Canton General."

                "But it's so far away!"

                "Mariah, we'd better go." Li said quietly. As explanation, he said, "Nobody knows we came here. We hitched a ride with Regan Shanfu, but he's leaving in five minutes, with or without us."

                "Bye, Rei," Mariah sniffled. Li didn't even bother saying anything but the two took off at top speed. And never looked back.

                Suddenly mature beyond his years, with a pounding headache and sore throat, Rei silently followed his family through the screening area and onto the plane.

                Mariah and Li watched the plane take off from the back of Regan's truck.

                "Don't worry about him, Mariah." Li said quietly. "Whatever happens, happens."

                "He's too young to die, Li." Mariah answered.

                "There's nothing more we can do." Li responded, eyes closed and mingling with rain was surreptitious tears. "They've chosen their life's path. And we'll both speak no more of this."

_Serov Airport - January 4_

                "I don't believe I'm actually doing this," Anastassia muttered. She set the baby carrier carrying the sleeping two-month-old Chloe down on the floor by her feet as they waited for the boarding call. "Netanya, darling, come back here. Mikael, catch her!" she cried as Netanya took off down the hallway. Mikael dashed after the spirited two-year-old and swept her up into his arms, bringing her back to the waiting area, where Kai appeared to be fine for the moment, occupying Hollie and Tamra, and where Anastassia was mentally preparing herself for the return to her childhood home.

_In the air – Canton to Tokyo flight_

                "Unca Rei?" Malik's oldest son, Evan, who was 4, asked, climbing over his grandparents' legs to reach Rei in the window seat. "Unca Rei, can I look out the window? Daddy tol' me no, 'cause Curran's sleepin'. Unca Rei?"

                "Hmm?" Rei asked, coming back from his own world. "Oh, sure, Evan." Laughing delightedly, Evan clambered up onto Rei's lap and looked eagerly out the window at the approaching Japan. "Unca Rei, what's there?"

                "That's Japan," Rei said, pointing out the country to the small boy.

                "There's a lot of water between Canton an' Tokyo." Evan commented. "An' I can' swim yet."

                "That's all right, Evan, you're not supposed to swim there any way." Rei told him.

                "Oh."

_Pre-boarding, Serov Airport_

                "Are you sure?" Mikael asked incredulously. "I mean, I am absolutely positive those seats were all in one row."

                "No, sir," the desk clerk said patiently. "There is a group of three in the middle, and four singulars."

                "Well, isn't this nice," Mikael grumbled. "Sir, you understand my dilemma. If it was only one singular, I wouldn't worry. My stepson is perfectly capable of being on his own for a flight. It's my daughters that I'm worried about."

                "What rows are your singulars in?" a older gentleman asked from a few people back, most of whom were looking a bit peeved.

                "Rows 5, 10, 15, 20."

                "I have a seat in row 10 that I can give you, and I'll take a singular."

                "Thank you, sir." Anastassia said gratefully, grabbing Netanya before she ran off again. The gentleman handed them his row 10 pass and took the row 5 pass.

                Another traveler, this one a middle-aged woman with her teenage son in tow, took pity on them. "Aaron, you wouldn't mind sitting alone, would you?" she asked her son, who shook his head. "Well, we have one row 20 seat we can exchange with you." Once again, Anastassia accepted gratefully, and gave the woman the row 15 pass.

                "I got a connection to make, up there!" One irked businessman called angrily. "Can we move it along, please?"

                "Shut up!" Kai snapped back at him. Then, he turned back to his stepfather and mother.

                "Kai, you take Hollie and go to row 20." Mikael said. 

"No, Daddy, I wanna stay with you." Hollie protested.

"All right. Kai, take Tamra."

"Daddy, I wanna stay with you!" Tamra whined.

"Fine. I'll take Hollie and Tamra and head to row 1. Kai, you take Netanya."

                "No! Stay with Mama!" Netanya wailed.

                "Netanya, Chloe has to stay with Mama," Mikael started, before Netanya turned on the tears. "Netanya, stop that."

                "I can take Chloe, if you want," Kai offered quietly. "Then Netanya can go sit with Mother and Hollie and Tamra can stay with you."

                "Kai, are you sure?" Anastassia, asking, looking as though she would take him up on that offer. She was ready to be rid of her youngest for a while, even if only for a couple of hours. Besides, Chloe seemed to prefer Kai over her and Mikael, any way.

                "Sure." Kai shrugged. "She's probably going to sleep the whole way any way, right?"

                "She should." Anastassia answered, gladly handing off the carrier, infant seat and bag to Kai, who rolled his eyes.

                "Hurry it up, up there! I've got—"

                "Yeah, yeah, we _know_ you have a connection!" Mikael called back angrily. "All right, let's go." He told them. Kai went first, since he had the seat farthest back. Hollie and Tamra followed happily behind their father, and Anastassia and Netanya brought up the rear.

                Once at the entrance to the plane, Kai got Chloe out of the carrier, letting the stewardess store it in the front, and set up the infant seat quickly in the middle seat, strapped in his baby sister securely (who had, indeed, slept through this whole fiasco) and took the aisle seat. The teenager whose mother had given them her seat joined them a couple of minutes later.

_Tokyo Airport_

                "Guys, don't lose Nevada in this mob!" Malik cried as he made a grab for his 2-year-old daughter as they got off the plane, still balancing his 9-month-old son Curran in one arm. Rei caught his singular niece by the arm just before she tumbled down onto the ground. "Thanks, Rei."

                "NO!!!!!! I WANNA GO!!!!" Nevada wailed, struggling against Rei's grip. The teen flushed a bit as other travelers cast askance glances at the family. His head began to throb again.

                From a couple of gates down, the Serov-Tokyo flight was disembarking at the same time.

                Kai's headache was starting once again as the Shostanovas all disembarked. Chloe had woken up as the plane was landing and fussed for a bit, but was now quiet, but her older sisters had taken up the noise.

                Netanya was screaming for no apparent reason, Tamra was whining about being hungry and thirsty and Hollie was complaining that she needed to go to the washroom. However, Netanya wouldn't leave Anastassia alone long enough for her to take Hollie to the washroom, Tamra wouldn't leave Mikael alone about going to a restaurant and Hollie didn't want Kai to take her.

                "Wanna switch?" Mikael and Anastassia both asked Kai wistfully.

                Kai shook his head serenely.

                "Daddy, I hafta go NOW!" Hollie whined.

                "Daddy, I'm HUNGRY!"

                "Mama!"

                Kai rubbed a hand across his face absently. "Why don't you guys go do whatever, I'll head down to the baggage claim area with Chloe and start getting luggage."

                "All right." Mikael agreed. "Wait. How are we getting to the mansion?"

                "I'll call Leroy." Kai assured him.

                "Are you sure you'll be all right?" Anastassia asked him. Kai reassured her he was fine and headed off to the baggage claim, balancing Chloe's carrier and infant seat while doing so. A helpful Gold Vest got a large luggage cart for him and Kai set the seat on the main part, the carrier on the cart's seat, and started grabbing luggage as it came around.

                Across the room, at the baggage claim for Canton-Tokyo, Chad and Abia appeared to have lost one of their suitcases and Ira and Lien still hadn't spotted any of theirs or Rei's, and the luggage belt had stopped spitting out suitcases. Meanwhile, David and Malik were having a time trying to contain their overly-hyperactive children on their own. Rei had finally taken the squirming Curran to let Malik chase after Evan and Nevada. David was howling at 9-year-old Blaise and 6-year-old Sikander for trying to play Tag on the luggage belt and Zeke was playing Indy 500 on the baggage carts.

                Finally Rei's hand whipped out as Zeke went past on a cart, efficiently snagging the tireless 4-year-old,  but making the cart careen out of control across the room, where it banged into somebody from Russia's cart and causing the infant in the carrier to scream. Rei yelped and whipped around as Kai turned around angrily.

_Kai's POV_

                Oh, geez, it was one of those kids from that Chinese family across the room. Doesn't look like they have much control over their kids. Of course, considering my sisters' current behaviours, I shouldn't be talking.

                Sighing and silently cursing the kid who disturbed Chloe, I took her out of the carrier and rubbed her back.

_Back to 3rd person POV_

                "Rei, you know Russian," David pleaded. "Go apologize for me. Take Zeke with you."

                "David, I don't know Russian!" Rei whined. "I can say 'Hello', 'Goodbye', 'Thank you', 'Sorry', and 'Where's the bathroom'! It doesn't count!"

                "You know 'sorry', so go apologize!"  
                "Fine!" Rei grabbed Zeke by the hand and dragged him, whining, over to the Russian side, where the teen whose cart had been banged into was now joined by three more younger girls, who all looked about as whiny and upset as Rei's nephews and niece, as well as two harried young adults who had to be his parents, even though they were probably still between Malik's age and David's age.

                "Umm, excuse me?" Rei mumbled, in Japanese, on the off-chance they knew it.

                Kai turned around.

                There was a stunned silence as Rei and Kai both looked surprised and stared at each other for a moment.

                'H—H—hi."

                "H—h—hey."

                "What are you doing here?"

                "What are _you_ doing here?"

                "Um, apologizing, I guess." Rei mumbled. "So, um, sorry about Zeke. I don't know what's gotten into him. Zeke, tell him you're sorry," he ordered in Chinese.

                "For what?" Zeke demanded boldly.

                "Don't make me call David over here!" Rei warned.

                Zeke glared at Rei for a moment before mumbling a barely-passable "Gomen."

                Rei had left swiftly after that, still dragging Zeke with him, to catch up with his jet-lagged family, and irate father and brother, who still hadn't found their luggage. 'Man, am I glad I'm not due to admit until tomorrow.'

                "Kai, who was that?" Anastassia asked.

                "An old teammate," Kai answered simply. "Well, I called Leroy. He said he'd be outside the front doors in fifteen minutes. That was about… fifteen minutes ago, so maybe we'd better leave. We have everything."

                "Daddy, I'm HUNGRY!" Tamra whined.

                "We'll eat soon, Tamra," Mikael said distractedly. He was clearly still upset at the sudden move from his lifetime home of Russia to this country where his wife had so many unhappy memories and where he didn't know any of the native language.

                "Good day, Master Kai." Leroy, the driver who had been one of very few employees at the mansion who had not been loyal to Voltaire, greeted.

                "Hello, Leroy." Kai greeted.

                "Madame Anastassia," Leroy touched his hat respectfully.

                "Nice to see you again, Leroy."


	4. It Seems There's A Conflict In Ownership...

Unveiled Truths

A/N: Hey! So, um, yeah, on with the fic.

DISCLAIMER: I own only… *enters names from previous chapters who never appear in the show*

**Chapter 4: It Seems There's A Conflict In Ownership Of This House**

                "Where are we headed, Lien?" Ira asked irritably as they finally left the customer service office with Chad behind them. They had left the address of their house for the meantime: 1313 Harlin Blvd., with the office, as well as the number, so that they could contact them when their luggage was found and since the airline had somehow managed to lose the luggage on a _direct flight, they could come deliver it themselves._

                "I know where we're going," Lien said. "I grew up in this place, I know where it is."

                "Lien, you haven't been to Tokyo since you were 16." Ira told her.

                "I still remember the way. Now… we take a right here, no a left here. Or maybe we go straight… Rei, which way do we go to get to Monosuke Ave.?"

                "We have taken the liberty of hiring new employees to replace the ones that were fired when your grandfather was arrested, Master Kai," Leroy said on the way back. "Not to be presumptuous, but Armand and Diane cannot run the mansion by themselves."

                "That's perfectly fine, Leroy," Kai said, temporarily distracted partially by a headache and partially by Netanya climbing over his legs to look out the window.

                Anastassia was silent, watching out the window as Monosuke Ave. sped past them and they turned another right onto Harlin Blvd.

_(A/N: Sorry, I'll shut up soon. Anybody guess what's coming????…)_

                "Ira, are the boys still behind us?" Lien asked worriedly, turning around in her seat to look out the rear window of the newly purchased car.

                "Yes, Lien, they are still tailing us at our current rate of a kilometre an hour."

                "Ira! I'm just worried they're going to get lost out here! Or _we're going to get lost!"_

                "Lien! The youngest of them is 25 and can find directions perfectly well and the one who knows Tokyo the best is in our backseat! Don't worry about it! Now what number are we looking for again?"

                "1313."

                Rei groaned as number 2 passed by. "I just want to go to bed, Mom!" he whined.

                "Go to sleep then, Rei," Ira snapped. "I am _not _in the mood for your whining right now."

                "I presume you will be tired when we arrive," Leroy said into the semi-silence. "Diane and the new girls have already prepared the bedrooms for you."

                "Hmm." Kai said tiredly, eyes closed and leaning back against the seat with Netanya, finally exhausted, sprawled out in sleep across his lap. Hollie and Tamra were both sleeping against Mikael, who was dozing lightly. Anastassia was still awake, but only because her anxiety wouldn't let her sleep. Chloe had long since dropped off. "That's fine."

                Leroy smiled and raised the privacy glass, turning into the driveway of number 1313.

                "Holy camoly, Lien!" Ira yelped as they approached number 1313 at long last. "Are you sure you have the right address???"

                Rei had jolted awake at his father's exclamation, then looked closer at the mansion and added, "Yeah, 'cause this is Kai's place."

                "Yes, I have the right address, Ira." Lien sighed. "Whoa, waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait. Kai? Your team captain Kai? He lives here?"

                "Yeah." Rei yawned. "Didn't recognize the address, I _do recognize the house. The bus just picked up the other guys from their houses when we went to the competition in Wakkanai a couple months ago."_

                "What's his surname?" Lien asked suspiciously.

                "Hiwatari." Rei answered equally suspiciously.

                "Isn't that _your_ maiden name, Lien?" Ira asked, also suspiciously.

                "Someone's got some serious explaining to do," Lien muttered.

                Kai disentangled Netanya from himself and got out of the car, watching the mansion with a slight look of distaste in his eyes.

                Netanya let out a delighted shriek as she found an exit from the confines of the limo and dashed out.

                "Netanya!" Mikael groaned, catching her arm as she sped by. "No running right now."

                "No!" Netanya whined. She struggled against her father's grip.

                "Hey, there's somebody coming in behind us, Daddy," Hollie said, pointing at the driveway entrance.

                Frowning, the older people turned around. Upon the exit of the woman from the passenger seat, Leroy breathed in sharply.

                "Leroy?" the woman asked uncertainly.

                "M—M—Madame Lien." Leroy stammered.

                Kai frowned in thoughtfulness as he looked at the expression on Leroy's face.

_                "Leroy, have you not located Lien yet?!" Voltaire's irate voice came screaming through the halls._

_                "Sir, I have located her in a small village in rural China, but she will not return."_

_                "Then MAKE HER RETURN!"_

_                "Sir, if I may point out, it is not completely necessary to have Lien return. Young Kai may not be the eldest, but he is the sole one to carry the Hiwatari name."_

_                "You have a sharp mind, Leroy." Voltaire grouchily admitted. "Send Kai in."_

_                11-year-old Kai stepped through the threshold just then. "You sent for me, Grandfather?"_

                "What's going on here?" Lien asked. "This is _my_ house."

                "Excuse me, no." Mikael interrupted.

                "This is _my_ house." Kai cut in coldly. "Ask any official you like. The registered owner of this place is Kai Hiwatari. Which would be me."

                "Yeah, well, I'm the eldest child, so I'm supposed to have ownership of this house."

                "Yeah, well, I'm the eldest son. Or grandson, depending on your view."

                There was dead silence for a moment until Anastassia's shaky voice came out of her blanched face. "When did you find that out, Kai?"


End file.
